Pesaha Appam and Pal / Puliyathappam and Pal

Pesaha Appam is unleavened bread and Pesaha Pal refers to passover coconut milk made on Holy Thursday (falls on the day of the Jewish Passover). I remember my mother used to make Pesaha Appam and Pal every year on this day. It was one of my favourites, and I remember asking her why she didn’t make this dish more often. She replied this was something that could be made only once a year because of it’s significance. So it was prepared with much reverence and care.

This is my Amma’s recipe and the one that I prefer making. You can find more of her delicious recipes at saltandspice.org 🙂

Ingredients

For Pezhaha Appam

2 cups Fine Rice flour

3/4 cup Urad dal

1 cup Grated coconut

Water (as required)

Salt to taste

Method

Wash and soak the dal in water for 8 hrs or overnight. Grind it to a fine paste using the same water, as required.

Grind the grated coconut to a fine paste.

Add the ground dal and coconut paste to the rice flour. Add salt and water as required to form a smooth batter of idli or pancake consistency. See that there are no lumps in the batter. Use an egg beater to mix the batter. Keep the batter covered for an hour.

Grease two deep dishes with oil and pour the batter into the dishes. Steam cook for 20 to 25 minutes or till done.

For The Pal

500g Jaggery

1/2 cup Water

1/4 cup Fine rice flour

3 cups Thin coconut milk

1 cup Thick coconut milk

1 tsp Dry ginger powder

6 Cardamom (powdered)

Method

Melt the jaggery with half a cup of water. Strain and keep aside.

Pour the thin coconut milk into a sauce pot and add the rice flour. Mix with an egg beater so that no lumps are formed.

Add the melted jaggery to it and cook on a medium flame till it boils. Stir in between and see that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Once it boils, add the thick coconut milk and mix. Lower the flame and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the dry ginger powder and cardamom powder before switching off the flame.